Stay - Yang Jungwon 양 정원

𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐔 𝐩𝐭. 𝟐

— One Month Later —

Jungwon winced when he landed, not sticking it as clean as he usually could.  He was holding his hand firmly to his side.  The window next to him was closed but the lights were on.  He ripped his mask off. Feeling the cold bite of late December air. It was snowing. A light flurry in the night.

He knew this fire escape.  This was the same one he and Chaeri hung out during the hot summer.  Letting their feet dangle while eating all the ice cream Chaeri had stored in her apartment.  He remembered walking home from her apartment when that spider bit him.  Giving him the powers that changed his life.  And saved many others.  It was what made him a hero.

But he certainly did not feel like a hero.  People died.  He could still feel that stranger's body in his arms when the building exploded.  He couldn't go home.  He couldn't face Iseul knowing how bad he failed.  Sure he defeated the psycho who caused it all, but so many people got hurt.  He didn't want to know how many people were fighting for their lives in the hospital.  How many loved ones were holding their hand? Jungwon didn't need hear J. Jonah Jameson to giving a wonderful recount of all the damage he inadvertently caused from stopping the reactor from creating a black hole in the middle of the city. 

Jungwon raised his hand to the window.  Hesitating before knocking three times.  He saw Chaeri's shadow.  His best friend.  Well... Taesan was his best friend since they were kids.  Minji was like his sister.  Chaeri was... Chaeri was the only person smart enough to figure it out.  The only person bold enough to do so.  He wasn't surprised.  Was he shocked that day? Yes.  But he wasn't surprised.  Chaeri was brilliant.  One of the most talented and smartest he knew.  And he could never be more grateful that she found out. 

The window blinds were rolled up, Chaeri smiled through the window. But it quickly turned into a look of horror when she saw the deep red that stained Jungwon's suit.  Her mouth moved, Jungwon guessed it was some sort of swear word before she unlocked her window, pushing it up.

"Jungwon— what—? You can't be here! My dad's here!" She hissed, looking at her bedroom door. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun and her headphones hung around her neck. It was clear she was studying. Jungwon knew she was probably listening to that playlist he made her for her last summer.

"I know— damn it," Jungwon closed his eyes feeling pain wash over him like a wave.  He leaned against the apartment wall.  It took all his energy to not throw up and pass out.  It took him this long to get here, he could stay awake for another hour.  "Please, Chae... I didn't— I didn't know where else to go..."

His voice cracked.  Chaeri faltered when she saw his eyes glossed over.  Tears brimming.  From pain or desperation, she didn't know, "Okay," Was all she said before taking a step to the side.

Jungwon nodded gratefully before slipping through her window. Careful not to knock down the stuff on her bedside. Chaeri quickly grabbed her own jacket and gave it to him. "Huh?" He could barely think as Chaeri went to close the window.

"Press it against whatever... I can't have you bleeding on my carpet. I'm going to go get the first aid kit. If my dad comes in... hide in the closet," Chaeri suggested. "Just sit, okay?" She said softly. She took his hands and pressed the jacket further against his side. Not caring her pink jacket would be scarlet red.

"Okay..." Jungwon sat on the edge of her bed as Chaeri quietly slipped out of her bedroom. Looking her clock, it was a little past midnight. Her mom would be asleep by now but her dad was home. Probably just got home in fact as he was at the crime scene.

He saw it all. He saw all the people Jungwon had indirectly hurt. Oh god... Jungwon held his head in his free hand. He didn't care if he got blood in his hair. His suit felt like it was choking him. Suffocating him. One of his greatest inventions was choking him. If it wasn't for him holding chaeri's jacket against his wound, he probably would have teared through the suit already.